Today marks World Red Cross Red Crescent Day, an occasion to honor the efforts of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in alleviating human suffering and promoting humanitarian values.
The theme for this year’s World Red Cross Red Crescent Day is “Keeping Humanity Alive,” which serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring commitment of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to uphold human dignity, alleviate suffering, and extend assistance to people facing dire conflict circumstances, particularly in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
In Somalia, the ICRC together with the Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS) support three physical rehabilitation centres in Mogadishu, Galkacyo and Hargeisa towns. The centres play a critical role in providing essential rehabilitation services, prosthetic and orthotic devices, and specialized care to people living with disability, including limb amputations, injuries, and club foot conditions.
Yasmin Bashir, an SRCS physiotherapist, assists seven-year-old Asha Ahmed take steps using a rollator walking frame to improve her mobility. Asha has cerebral palsy, a condition acquired largely from birth that affects bodily movement and coordination. Asha’s mother regularly brings her to the Somali Red Crescent physical rehabilitation centre in Mogadishu to receive much-needed physiotherapy treatment. ©ICRC/Abdikarim Mohamed
An uplifting moment between seven-year-old Ruweydha Mohamud and her physiotherapist during a rehabilitation session at the SRCS centre in Mogadishu. She gives a high-five to the nurse as her mother, Qamar Ali looks on. ©ICRC/Abdikarim Mohamed
Abdulkadir Ahmed Sheikh, a physiotherapy assistant at Mogadishu physical rehabilitation centre performs physical exercises on Muad Hussein, 11 years old, who fractured his right elbow. Muad was brought at the centre by his father Mohamed Hussein to receive treatment. ©ICRC/Abdikarim Mohamed
Amina Farah, head of the orthopaedic department, assists 20-year-old Mohamud Abdisalam in putting on a prosthesis. Amina started working for the Somali Red Crescent Society physical rehabilitation centre in 2013. ©ICRC/Abdikarim Mohamed
Zeinab Hussein Abdulle, 55 years old who is an above knee amputee has recently been fitted with a prosthetic limb and taking her very first steps by walking between parallel bars. Zeinab’s prosthetist helps to place her foot down to get used to balancing with the new limb. ©ICRC/Abdikarim Mohamed
The SRCS runs three rehabilitation centres in Somalia, Mogadishu, Galkayo and Hargeisa. The centre helps disabled people regain their mobility so that become active again and participate in society. Last year, all three centres carried out 38,540 physiotherapy sessions, and delivered 650 prostheses and 2,028 orthoses. In addition, 1,878 walking aids and crutches, 369 wheelchairs and postural devices, and 84 wide range of devices were delivered. ©ICRC/Abdikarim Mohamed